Sputnik News- While the Iranian government is interested in settling the Syrian crisis, Washington is pursuing the opposite, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in New York on Wednesday.



"Today it seems to�me that priorities have changed and for�the government of�the US it is more important to�prevent the Syrian government from�taking over�the border with�Iraq than�it is to�defeat ISIS [Daesh]," Zarif said in�an interview with�the Asia Society, a non-profit based in�New York.


The minister underscored that Tehran is interested in�ending the conflict in�Syria. At the same time, according to�him, the settlement of�the�crisis�is not the priority goal for�Washington.

As for�Iran's involvement in�Syria, it is aimed not at�supporting any of�the groups, but�at "fighting terrorism," Zarif stressed.

The Iranian government has repeatedly accused the US of�supporting militant groups in�Syria, including Daesh and al-Nusra Front. In April, Iranian President�Hassan Rouhani�accused Washington of�helping terrorists after�US missile strikes on�a Syrian airbase, saying that "terrorists are celebrating" the attack.

In turn, the White House has criticized Iran�s policy. During his visit to�Saudi Arabia in�May,�President Donald Trump�accused the Iranian government of�being a dictatorship and a sponsor of�terrorism, saying that Tehran has "fueled the fires of�sectarian conflict and terror" in�the Middle East.